Peepul
Job Description
Reports to: Sr. Project Manager/Programme Manager – Delhi
Programmes Location: New Delhi, Delhi
Start date: Immediate
About Peepul
Peepul is an education-focused non-profit organisation committed to transforming India's education system and enabling every child to reach their full potential. We work closely with national, state, and local governments to transform government schools and government systems. Currently, we work with governments in Delhi and Madhya Pradesh to meaningfully have an impact across ~325,000 teachers and 9.75 million+ students across 100,000+ schools.
At Peepul, we collaborate with school systems to build the capacity of leaders, teachers, and institutions. We advocate for policy improvements, support mentoring and monitoring, and enhance student-teacher engagement in classrooms. Our work has been recognised internationally, including receiving the Commonwealth Education Awards for Innovation and being featured in reports by respected organisations like the UN and the National Ministry of Education, India, and we are well-funded by both Indian CSR and prominent international Foundations working toward a common purpose of excellent education for the most disadvantaged sections of society.
Driven by our core values of impact, excellence, and leadership, we are restless, resilient, and reflective organisations. Our team of 200+ employees is passionate about creating lasting change and is rewarded competitively for their dedication. Join us in our mission to create a world where every child has equal access to high-quality education.
Programme Context:
Peepul has partnered with the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi) to strengthen learning outcomes, through the Exemplar Schools as well as a Teacher Training and Development programme. Through this partnership, we have developed a deep understanding of the municipality context, education landscape, and administrative support structures at the ground-level.
In the Exemplar School Network, we test, demonstrate, and continually evolve our high-engagement classroom practice toolkit, supporting 1200 children from the poorest families in Delhi. These innovation labs of ours are also bright spots for the country’s government school system, with 85%+ of our students meeting or exceeding grade-level expectations. They showcase the excellence that is possible in the public school system, at a cost model comparable to normal government expenditure.
Building on the learnings from the schools, we are building the Capacity of Teachers and Education Officials (Parivartan Programme), Delhi, India. Specifically, we are supporting the teacher capacity building of 2,800 teachers across ~600 Delhi primary schools in partnership with the MCD (Municipal Corporation of Delhi), to build their capacity to implement the toolkit in their schools and classrooms. We use a three pronged strategy which includes: bite-sized modular training sessions, professional learning communities, and in-classroom observations and support to build the capacity of teachers.
Role Description
The role of the Project Manager is critical to the success of the continued partnership with the MCD towards achieving quality education for all, and to Peepul’s strategic objective of supporting quality improvement in the public-school system in India. This is therefore an exciting opportunity for a highly motivated individual to play a key role in a flagship reform initiative with enormous potential impact.
To enable programme’s success, we require to rapidly roll-out and scale our support. to reach all teachers officials in the state.
The Project Manager will be an excellent team player who will independently lead and drive design and delivery of interventions towards support and accountability of teachers and academic officials of the MCD. The ideal candidate should be able to bring together education expertise, creative problem-solving and stakeholder management, towards the creation, implementation, and impact tracking of high-quality initiatives towards improvement of the quality of education in the MCD.
Responsibilities would include:
To lead project design, piloting, and implementation of interventions towards academic reforms
- Taking the lead on one or more interventions/workstreams within the Parivartan programme, towards teacher support and accountability and student learning improvement.
- Designing, piloting and developing the interventions (e.g. Professional Learning Communities, supporting a cadre of mentor teachers, Recognition mechanisms, remedial learning and tech-based learning solutions etc.) in collaboration with government counterparts
- Applying content knowledge and classroom experience in developing these interventions that will lead to shifts in teacher mindset, knowledge and practice
- Leading the pilot of interventions, documenting learnings and evolving the design to have greater impact at scale o Working closely with government stakeholders to build knowledge as well as build capacity towards improved implementation
- Defining success metrics and growth aspiration for the project and communicating effectively with all stakeholders to translate this into a successful multi-year engagement
To manage best-in-class project implementation to ensure impact
- Plan and sequence the implementation of programme interventions (such as Professional Learning Communities), in close coordination with the Project Coordination team and organizational subject experts
- Create effective work planning systems to ensure work remains on track and effectively prioritized, including regular work reviews to keep the project on track o Potentially manage 1-2 associates and provide guidance/review on their deliverables
- Work with in-house M&E team and external experts to develop appropriate project evaluation tools
- Facilitate sessions (e.g. training, focus group discussions, learning circles) with teachers, school leaders, cluster and block officials as required on high-impact teaching practices
- Work closely with Teacher Education Institutes, district, block and cluster officers to ensure high-quality academic mentoring
To be a strong team collaborator, manage cross-functional relationships and engage effectively with key government stakeholders
- Foster a positive and collaborative culture of trust and high expectations in the team
- Develop and maintain strong operational relationships with government partners, putting in place mechanisms to support collaboration and cross organisational working
- Design and build effective, fully aligned partnerships with other education non profits and agencies, to leverage external expertise and resources where appropriate
- Build capacity within government teams to ensure ongoing, sustainable organisational self-improvement after the formal end of the project
Requirements
Qualifications
At Peepul, we seek talented professionals passionate about driving educational transformation and making a positive impact. We are looking for individuals who possess the following qualifications and meet the role requirements:
• Educational Background: A relevant educational background in Education, Social work or related disciplines is highly preferred. Candidates with master's in social work will be given preference.
• Work Experience: We value both professional and personal experience. Candidates with 3-6 years of direct classroom teaching experience in government schools with strong track record of success in managing projects with multi functional teams are preferred. Experience of working in government systems and awareness of education structures in India is also desirable.
• Other Skills: Excellent analytical & interpersonal skills to support and influence stakeholders and ability to work independently and collaboratively with a diverse group of individuals.
• Language Proficiency: English and Hindi
